For the past few years cleansing, juice diets, fresh pressed juices, raw juices, and smoothie bowls have all become increasingly popular. What easier way to get your greens than to mix them into a bunch of fruit? It takes 5 minutes to drink a smoothie and at least 10 to eat a salad. So for those days when you’re tight for time smoothies are great options. However I don’t always feel full after drinking a smoothie and that’s where the smoothie bowl comes in.
With smoothie bowls you still are getting all of your fruit and greens as well as all of the fiber that’s in those foods but you’re also getting the sensation of chewing from the granola, bananas , coconut, and whatever else you heart desires to sprinkle on top. So lately when I need a mid day pick me up and ice cream seems like the best option I open my freezer and instead grab the organic frozen fruit and get to blending. For those of you that have a Trader Joe’s near by I always get their organic frozen fruits because they taste the freshest and are normally the best deal. I also love their organic dried coconut, and Acai smoothie packs. The Organic Acai packs give you that authentic smoothie bowl flavor that you’d get in most juice shops with out the hassle of prepping the berries plus they can be found year round.
There are a few other tricks I do to make smoothie bowls even faster and better than they already are. First of all I peel and freeze all of my super ripe bananas so they’re ready when I want them. I do it when they get past the point of firm but before banana bread status. It keeps me from constantly throwing away bad bananas and the ripeness bonuses as a sweetener. If I want my bowl to be more like a meal than a snack I will add peanut butter on top or add half an avocado. That helps me to get some healthy fats and stay full longer. As for the toppings, possibility’s are endless. There’s so many different types of granola that I love so ’m always switching it up. As for the “cherry on top” I like adding fresh berries on top for a more wholesome texture.
As far as preparation I think I have tried every blender on the market and as much as I do love the bigger stronger blenders for some things I am totally a Nutri Bullet girl when it comes to smoothie bowls. The appliance is small enough I can leave it on my counter with out it taking up too much space and the clean up is so simple because the cup fits right into the top rack of the dishwasher. Also they are now sold on Amazon for ONLY $69 (click the picture below), you really can’t beat that! So if you’re ready to add some fruits, veggies, and fiber to your diet disguised as a treat do yourself a favor and start incorporating smoothie bowls into your daily routine.
